Conventionally, window glasses mounted onto a side window, a roof window, and the like of a vehicle are manually opened and closed, but currently, most window glasses of a vehicle are automatically opened and closed by a force that is generated by a power source such as an electric motor. When the window glass is automatically closed, a foreign object may be pinched between the window glass and the window frame. There has already been developed a window regulator device having an anti-pinch function, in which when the pinching of the foreign object is detected, an operation of the window glass in a closing direction (closing operation) is stopped, or an operation direction of the window glass is reversed, to thereby eliminate the pinching.
The window regulator device having the anti-pinch function includes object pinching detection means for detecting the pinching of the foreign object. The object pinching detection means equipped in the window regulator device described in Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication No. Hei 7-18864 includes an input-side rotator rotatable by a rotational drive force of a drive motor serving as a power source for opening and closing the window glass, a disk-like contact element arranged so as to be rotatable integrally with the input-side rotator and axially movable, an output-side rotator placed between the input-side rotator and the contact element, and a contact point member arranged to be opposed to the contact element. The output-side rotator is rotated by a rotational drive force to be received from the input-side rotator via coil springs. Further, protrusions are formed on a surface of the output-side rotator facing the contact element, and through-holes for fitting the protrusions therein are formed in the contact element. When the contact element rotates along with the rotation of the input-side rotator, the protrusions are fitted into the through-holes so that the output-side rotator rotates integrally with the contact element.
When the foreign object is pinched between the window glass and the window frame, a rotation speed of the output-side rotator decreases, and hence the contact element rotates relative to the output-side rotator. Through the relative rotation, the protrusions formed on the output-side rotator push up the contact element. Therefore, the contact element axially moves while rotating. Through the axial movement of the contact element, switch brushes formed on the contact element are brought into contact with a conductive member formed on the contact point member. Through the contact between the switch brushes and the conductive member, the pinching is detected.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sho 60-78082 discloses a window regulator device, in which the window glass is automatically operated in an opening direction (opened) when the foreign object is pinched between the window glass and the window frame. According to the window regulator device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Sho 60-78082, when an open/close position of the window glass during raising (closing) of the window glass is situated within a predetermined positional area that is set in advance and when the foreign object is pinched between the window glass and the window frame, the anti-pinch processing is executed so that the window glass is lowered (opened).